Trends in First-Time Symptomatic Antidementia Drug Dispensations to Home-Dwelling People in Norway: A Nationwide Register-Based Study

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic antidementia drugs can influence cognitive symptoms. According to Norwegian dementia guidelines, general practitioners (GPs) are responsible for assessing, treating, and following up on dementia, with extended assessments provided by specialist healthcare in more complicated cases and for patients under 65 years of age. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate trends in first-time antidementia drug dispensations to home-dwelling people aged 60 years and older in Norway (2006-2020), and to analyse whether a GP issued the first prescription. METHODS: This repeated annual cross-sectional study utilized data from the Norwegian Prescribed Drug Registry (NorPD). Age- and sex-stratified incidence rates of antidementia drugs (ATC N06D) dispensed by Norwegian pharmacies between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2020, were analysed. The Norwegian GP Registry was linked with NorPD to identify if the prescriber worked as a GP at the time of the first antidementia prescription. RESULTS: In this study, 66,886 individuals received a novel antidementia drug dispensation. The incidence rates of first-time antidementia drug dispensations showed an overall declining trend during the study period. Females accounted for 61.1% of first-time dispensations, with the highest incidence rates observed in the 80-84-years age group across both sexes. Across all age groups, female patients were more likely than male patients to receive their first antidementia prescription from a GP. Patient age had a notable influence on prescriber type, with older people more often receiving their first prescription from a GP compared with younger people. CONCLUSIONS: There was a declining trend in the annual incidence rate of antidementia drug dispensations to home-dwelling people. Older age and female sex were associated with an increased likelihood of receiving a first-time symptomatic antidementia drug prescription from a GP.